Camping doesn’t have to mean roughing it. A new wave of private campgrounds makes it easier than ever to go glamping — short for luxury or glamorous camping. Travelers can spend a night in an upscale tipi, a vintage Airstream trailer or a designer treehouse. “Everyone is looking for a way to disconnect while having a unique experience,” says Jessica Armstrong of GlampingHub.com, a website listing more than 33,000 glamping spots around the world. With Memorial Day kicking off the summer vacation season, she shares some favorite glamp sites with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Forest Gully Farms
Santa Fe, Tenn.

Visitors feel like the lord of the forest in the Hobbit huts at this Tennessee crop farm. The half-buried white cedar shelters resemble something from a Tolkien novel. They hold eight guests, who share three huts and a bathhouse. The farm also offers foraging tours, with a chance to harvest herbs, nuts, fruits and freshly laid eggs. “It’s very eco-friendly. Quite literally, farm to table,” Armstrong says. forestgullyfarms.com

AutoCamp
Santa Barbara, Calif.

No need to haul a trailer to spend the night in a vintage Airstream. This secluded compound offers a choice of campers, shaded by oaks, avocado and plum trees. Expect surprising amenities like a clawfoot bathtub, surround-sound audio systems, and flat-screen televisions. Beach cruiser bikes make it easy to pedal into town, and boutique bath products and a spa robe offer comfort back at camp. “It’s in the heart of Santa Barbara, but guests still feel like they’re away from it all,” Armstrong says. autocamp.com

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Although the scenery doesn’t change, train lovers are still wowed at the prospect of spending the night in a parked caboose on a farm in the Smoky Mountains. The two rail cars have loft beds in the cupolas, and sleep five. They also have granite kitchen countertops and heated bathroom floors. buffalocreekvacationsnc.com

Basecamp 37
Kanab, Utah

Sleeping in a tent doesn’t have to mean roughing it. These safari-style accommodations have queen- or king-size beds, and electricity from a solar array. “All are raised on wooden platforms with private decks, and are a little bit secluded,” Armstrong says. The location, near Utah’s state and national parks, is another plus. basecamp37.net

Seguin
Georgetown, Maine

Camping out reaches new heights at this treehouse resort on the Atlantic coast. Constructed from salvaged materials, the tiny arboreal homes are reached with spiral staircases and have kitchens, bathrooms and screened porches, including one with a cedar hot tub. “They have private decks, right in the trees,” Armstrong says. seguinmaine.com

Best Texas Travel
New Braunfels, Texas

Set up camp in a high-end tipi at this Texas Hill Country hideaway. The shelters can sleep four to six people, and are air-conditioned and equipped with satellite television, and a bathroom. “Each has a kitchen, sink, toaster oven, small refrigerator and stovetop. But it’s very authentic in its exterior and structure,” Armstrong says. besttexastravel.com

Shash Dine Eco-Retreat
Page, Ariz.

Get in touch with your inner pioneer by spending a night in a covered wagon at this glamping bed and breakfast near the Navajo Nation reservation. The Native American-owned property provides blue corn porridge, fruit and nuts for breakfast. Other camping options include traditional hogan Navajo shelter, and tents pitched at your choice of locations. “We call them pop-ups,” Armstrong says. shashdine.com

River Island Marina
St. Charles, Mo.

This safari tent camp near St. Louis, offers waterfront accommodations on floating docks, near a private pond or channel leading to the Mississippi River. “It’s very modern décor on the inside. There’s a picnic table, fire pit, and private deck,” Armstrong says. Plus each has heating and air-conditioning. glampingstl.com

Campers can choose from a geodesic dome, cabin or Airstream trailer at this mini resort in North Georgia’s Appalachian Mountains. “It’s tucked away right in the heart of nature. If you’re looking for a secluded getaway, this is your best bet,” Armstrong says. Guests can meet the resident chickens and goats, and then bike, paddle, fish, hike and stargaze. northgeorgiaglamping.com

Camping is commonplace in Estes Park, Colo.. With crystal-clear lakes, snowcapped mountains and abundant wildlife, it’s irresistible for those who love the great outdoors. But, what if your campsite was dangling from the side of a cliff, about 100 feet off the ground?
Jim Hobart

Kent Mountain Adventure Center in Estes Park, Colo., takes guests cliff camping, a 24-hour experience where you hike up to base camp, then up to the top of Deville III, a nice little perch with views of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Jim Hobart

At the summit you clip into fixed ropes and rappel down to the itty, bitty portaledge where you chow down on dinner and fall asleep (hopefully) until morning. After breakfast, you rappel back down to the ground.
Jim Hobart

Kilpisjärvi, a remote Finnish village, is known for its beautiful Arctic tundra. This makes it the perfect viewing spot to gaze up at the northern lights. The new Aurora Wilderness Camp offers a unique way to take it all in.
Aurora Wilderness Camp

The camp has two mobile, two-person huts strategically placed in a prime viewing location. The hut roofs are made of glass so guests not only get to stargaze, but, if they’re lucky, they will catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.
Aurora Wilderness Camp

There’s nothing quite like spending the night inside a national park, especially when that park is home to one of the most active volcanoes on the planet: Kīlauea. And, believe it or not, you can camp about a half mile away from it at Nāmakanipaio Campground.
Jacob W. Frank

Volcano House, the only lodging within the park, offers visitors three ways to camp: a camper cabin that sleeps four, a tent with an 8-inch memory foam mattress or a campsite lot where you can BYOT (bring you own tent).
Janice Wei, NPS

“The lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u Crater is currently the largest lava lake on earth,” says Jessica Ferracane, public affairs specialist of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. “It’s about 10 acres in size. So the reflective glow it casts into the night sky is quite dramatic, and visible from the campground and other vantage points in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The night sky, with all its stars, planets, the Milky Way and more, is stunning and made even more phenomenal by the red glow.”
Jacob W. Frank

“You can either rappel directly down to it with a rope or you can take one of three other methods to hike in,” says Kristin Addis, creator of bemytravelmuse.com. “Since it's not as well known as so many other more popular trails in Utah, you can get a nice little area to yourself directly under the arch if you want. I can't imagine it gets much better than that.”
Kristin Addis, bemytravelmuse.com